35

HEALTHY
FACTS

 Your Doctor Wants You to Know

1) Cold weather makes you sick.

Myth! Germs are the only thing that can make you sick.
You can go out in the freezing cold with wet hair, and if there
aren’t any germs around, you’ll stay sniffle-free. But
there is a correlation: The viruses that cause the
common cold thrive in low temperatures.


2 )Eating too much sugar will give you diabetes.

Myth! Sweet foods don’t directly
lead to chronically high blood sugar.
But they can contribute to obesity,
which is a risk factor for diabetes,
so keeping a well-balanced diet and
limiting treats is still the right idea.



3)You shouldn’t ice a burn.

Truth! Most skin damage from a
burn comes from the inflammatory
response, and ice can damage cells
and make it worse. Instead, immerse
the burn in cool water for about five
minutes. Then wash with mild soap
and apply an antibiotic ointment.



4)Antiperspirants cause cancer.



Myth! Antiperspirants tempo-
rarily keep sweat from escaping,
and some scientists have suggested
that letting it build up in the ducts
could cause tumours.
But research hasn’t confirmed
that theory, and the largest study
to date on the subject found no
link between cancer and anti-
perspirants or deodorants.


5)CPR doesn’t require mouth-to-mouth breathing.

Truth! A 2017 study found that
when bystanders gave CPR to people
in cardiac arrest, survival rates were
higher when they employed uninter-
rupted chest compressions rather
than pausing for rescue breaths.



6) Being overweight shortens your life expectancy.



Myth! It’s what researchers call
your life expectancy.
the ‘obesity paradox’, though the
‘overweight paradox’ would be more
accurate. Obesity is linked with a host
of health problems, including the
so-called all-cause mortality, but the
evidence isn’t strong for overweigh-
tedness. A recent review looked at
10 studies of more than 1,90,000 peo-
ple and found that overweight people
had the same longevity as normal-
weight adults, though they did have
a higher risk of heart disease.



7) You shouldn’t let someone with a concussion sleep right away.



Truth! For several hours after the
initial blow, it’s a good idea to keep
the person awake and monitor symp-
toms. But after that, taking naps and
getting plenty of sleep at night are
recommended to aid recovery.



8)Tilt your head back if you have a nosebleed.

Myth! Tilting your head back
might make you swallow blood,
which could irritate the stomach
and potentially make you vomit.
Instead, tip your head slightly for-
wards and pinch your nose shut
for 10 minutes.



9)You should eat several small
meals throughout the day instead of three big ones.



Myth! While some people who
are natural grazers might do better
on a small-meal eating plan, others
won’t feel satisfied, and the diet
will backfire. The goal should be
to pay attention to the overall
nutrients and calories you’re
getting in your meals, not to how
you’re spreading them out.



10)A person having a seizure
is at risk of swallowing his or her tongue.

Myth! Following conventional
wisdom and putting a spoon in
the person’s mouth won’t prevent
tongue swallowing—in fact, it could
harm the teeth or jaws. Instead,
turn the person on his or her side to
prevent choking on saliva or vomit,
and cushion the head with a pillow.



11) Carrots help your eyesight.



Myth! Carrots get their vision-
boosting reputation from the
chemical that gives them their
orange colour: beta-carotene.
Beta-carotene is converted into
vitamin A, which helps your eyes
see better in the dark. But the con-
version process isn’t very efficient,
and once you’ve taken in a certain
amount, the body stops converting
it. For improved eyesight, eat vege-
tables high in vitamin A itself,
including leafy greens such as
kale and spinach.



12)Stress will give you an ulcer.



Myth! The two main causes of
stomach ulcers are overuse of NSAIDs
(Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs) such as aspirin and ibuprofen,
and infection from the bacteria Heli-
cobacter pylori. Stress might make an
existing ulcer worse (and ulcers might
trigger stress), but the current science
shows it isn’t a direct cause.



13)You should return to working out after a heart attack.



Truth! “Too often, heart patients
use their condition as an excuse to
cut back on physical activity when
they should be doing the opposite,”
says Salim Virani, MD, chair of the
American College of Cardiology’s
Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease
Council. Hitting the standard 20
to 30 minutes most days can help
strengthen your heart. Talk to your
doctor about creating a safe routine.



14)Reading in dim light will harm your eyes.



Myth! It might tire your eyes in the
short term, but there’s no evidence
that it will do any lasting damage.
When reading, position light to shine
directly on the page rather than from
over your shoulder to reduce glare.



15)Coughing too much can make you throw up.


Truth! Little kids are especially
prone to vomiting after coughing fits
because their gag reflexes are extra
sensitive, but it can also happen to
adults. It usually isn’t a big deal, but
if you keep puking, see a doctor.



16) Cracking your knuckles will give you arthritis.



Myth! Recent studies haven’t
found a link between cracked joints
and arthritis. But some studies
showed that cracking your knuckles
can result in soft-tissue damage (which can cause swelling) and a
decrease in hand-grip strength.



17) Bar soap is covered in germs.



Myth! You might transfer germs
to the soap while you scrub up,
but they won’t last long enough
to spread. The most rigorous
study on the subject, published
in 1965, found that bacteria on a
bar of soap die within minutes
and are not transmitted to the
next person to use the soap.



18)You don’t need eight glasses of water every day.



Truth! There’s no scientific evi-
dence that eight is the magic num-
ber. You might need more or less
than that, depending on factors such
as climate and body size. To make
sure you are getting enough, just
drink water throughout the day.



19)Sitting up straight can be bad for your back.



Truth! “Hunching can certainly
be bad for your back. But the oppo-
site is true, too,” says Neel Anand,
MD, professor of orthopaedic sur-
gery and medical director of spine
trauma surgery at Cedars-Sinai Spine
Center, Los Angeles, USA. “Sitting up
straight for too long without a break
can also cause strain.” While sitting,
keep your lower back supported and
your legs uncrossed with your knees
at a 90º angle, and get up to stretch
every half hour or so.



20) People with dark skin can’t get skin cancer.



Myth! Dark skin is less likely to
burn, but it isn’t immune to harmful
ultraviolet rays and the damage they
cause. People of all skin types need
to use sunscreen.



21)You need less sleep as you get older.



Myth! Older adults often sleep less
as a result of chronic conditions that
are more common with age as well as
the medications used to treat them.
But that doesn’t mean they require
less sleep. While sleep needs vary
from person to person, the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention
recommends adults get at least seven
hours of sleep for optimal health.



22)Holding in a sneeze is unhealthy.



Truth! As your body gets ready
to sneeze, pressure builds in your
lungs. When your body tries to push
the air out, it needs somewhere to
go—and if you’re pinching your nose
and mouth, it could be rerouted to
the ears. In rare cases, sending the
sneeze in that direction can lead to
damage, such as ruptured eardrums.



23)You can get the flu more than once a season.



Truth! Every year, there’s more than
one flu strain circulating. Getting sick
from (or being vaccinated against)
one of them won’t protect you or your
loved ones from the other strains.
That’s why it’s important to take
everyday preventive actions during
flu season: covering your nose and
mouth with a tissue while coughing
or sneezing, and washing your hands
often with soap and water.



24)Eggs are bad for your heart.

Myth! The old thinking was
that cholesterol in food would
raise blood cholesterol levels and
in turn increase the risk of heart
disease. A recent study of more
than 4,00,000 adults found that
eating an egg a day increased
good cholesterol and cut the
risk of cardiovascular death
by 18 per cent.



25)You can stop taking antibiotics when your
symptoms go away.



Myth! Even if you’re back in tip-
top shape, continue taking your
meds as prescribed. The symptoms
can fade before the infection clears,
meaning you could get sick all over
again—and this time it might be
more resistant to the antibiotic.



26)You should rinse the toothpaste from your
mouth after brushing.



Myth! When you rinse with non-
fluoride mouthwash or water, you’re
spitting out the fluoride that prevents
tooth decay without giving it enough
time to work. If you still feel like you
need to rinse, studies suggest using a
tiny bit of water to swish the tooth-
paste foam, then spitting it out. This
will keep more fluoride on your teeth.



27)Alcohol warms you up when it’s cold outside.



Myth! You might feel
warmer and your face
may start to flush as
you sip that hot toddy,
because alcohol
causes your blood
vessels to dilate,
moving warm
blood closer to
the skin. But this
perception of warmth
also causes you to
stop shivering, which
actually brings your
core temperature down.



28)Running is bad for knees.



Myth! Research has found
that recreational runners are not at
increased risk of having symptoms
of knee arthritis or other orthopaedic
problems. “In fact,” says James Smo-
liga, PhD, associate director of High
Point University’s Human Biome-
chanics and Physiology Laboratory,
“running may strengthen muscles
that stabilize the knee, which may
help prevent injuries and arthritis.”



29)Caffeine is good for hearts.


Truth! It might seem as
if anything that makes your heart
race would put stress on your
ticker, but mounting evidence says
just the opposite. Studies suggest
that drinking three cups of coffee a
day is linked to a lower risk of car-
diovascular problems. The antioxi-
dants in coffee may play a role, and
caffeine might speed up cellular
processes that help repair the heart.


30)A workout won’t counteract



Truth! A study of almost 8,000
adults found that people who sat
the longest overall and for the lon-
gest uninterrupted time had the
greatest risk for death, regardless
of whether they’d squeezed in a
the effects of sitting all day.
workout. That’s not to say exercise is
useless, but it’s important to scatter
activity throughout the day in addi-
tion to a designated workout.


31)Sitting too close to the TV damages your eyes.



Myth! Until the late 1960s, the
amount of radiation coming from
TVs wasn’t well regulated, so some
people worried that sitting too
close could cause health problems.
Modern TVs don’t pose that risk.
Staring at anything for a long time
can make the eyes feel tired, but it
won’t do permanent damage.


32)Probiotics can help ease diarrhoea.



Truth! While studies haven’t pinned
down which ‘good’ bacteria, yeast
strains and doses are most helpful
against diarrhoea, the research is
promising. There’s evidence that
probiotics can prevent or reduce diar-
rhoea associated with antibiotics and
can ease symptoms in people with ir-
ritable bowel syndrome. Other poten-
tial benefits of probiotics include
weight loss, cold prevention, and pro-
tection from tooth decay, though the
studies aren’t conclusive.


33)Sugar causes cancer.



Myth! It’s true that
cancer cells tend to get their
fuel from sugar, but that doesn’t
mean that eating less sugar will
prevent or slow down cancer.
The body makes its own glucose
when you eat less sugar, which
could negate any cancer-figh-
ting benefit. That said, obesity is
a risk factor for certain cancers,
so staying off sweets can have
an indirect anticancer effect.


34)Holding in a fart can damage the gastrointestinal tract.



Myth! For better or for worse, when
you hold back your gas, that flatulence
stays right where it is. Eventually, your
body will expel it when you aren’t
paying attention, no harm done (at
least to you—your neighbours might
disagree). The only time it could
potentially cause harm is if your colon
is severely blocked and the pressure
builds up to the point of bursting—
and even then it’s rare.


35)Depression is incurable.



Myth! “Recovery from de-
pression is not only possible; it’s
actually likely when people receive
the specific kind and amount of help
that they need,” says Mark Henick,
MS, a mental health advocate. “When
you combine medication with psy-
chological therapy as well as social
supports like housing, employment,
and engagement, that’s the gold
standard for recovery.”